Should Quincy Jones Be So Hard On Young Artists?

   

At 79 years old, music industry legend Quincy Jones has seen the business change for the better and for the worse. 

For the Grammy-Award-winning composer, one of the downsides is seeing artists without musical training being called "producers." In 2010, he made headlines by rebuking comparisons of him and Kanye West. This week, he criticized Bad Boy Entertainment mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs for not being able to "recognize a b flat if it hit him." As the BET Awards approach on Sunday, the debate rages on between those who prefer the old-school and new-school styles of music. 

Keith A. Martin doesn't want to be labeled "old-school" or "new-school." The 54-year-old Philadelphia native has enjoyed listening to music from his college days  in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as well as some of what is played on the radio. 

"Some of what [Quincy Jones] is saying is right," the married grandfather of two says. " When you think about what he's done with several genres of music and then you look at new guys who only do Hip Hop and R&B--there really is no comparison." 

Martin defends younger artists like Kanye West and R.Kelly on their musicianship. He says that West is documented for knowing how to play multiple instruments--but more artists should strive to do the same. 

"I was a big Hip Hop fan from 1988 up until about two or three years ago. I can't listen to a lot of this stuff now."

In Orlando, Jeremy Larry--who is in his 30s--shares his concerns about the older generation being too critical of young people. 

"Every other week, there is some [musician] from the '50s, '60s, and '70s saying something about young artists," the cable technician says. "I'm not sure if the two sides can find a common ground." 

~ Zack A. Isaacs

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Home Cooking : Better Than Fast Food?

Sumarya Tolliver-Gurley knows her family history well--including the things worth bragging out and other items that most would not make public.  

However, one thing is not a secret for this expectant mother of twins: many of her relatives have suffered from hypertension and heart attacks. 

Having such knowledge, she has made lifestyle choices to avoid enduring those same health challenges. For her, the best way has been to eliminate fast food from the daily menu and eat meals at home. 

Mrs. Gurley joins many Americans who find that home-cooked meals are healthier and less expensive. In a recent article on Forbes.com, contributor Beth Hoffman gives some additional reasons why cooking at home is beneficial ranging from how it helps the environment to the superior taste of certain dishes. Just one week after McDonalds was found "unlovable" in a customer satisfaction survey, it is evident that families are looking for quality food options.

"I don't eat anything fried. I mostly stir fry and make soups and veggie dishes," says Gurley. " I've never been a meat eater--just seafood. So during the summer months we grill and sauté."

She says that her husband, Leroy, will indulge in fried food but only if it is prepared at home. For the 32-year-old hair designer, unhealthy eating is not an option even when she is really hungry. But she stays prepared to ensure that the twins she is carrying will receive proper nutrients for their development.  

"When I cook at home, I'm aware of what I'm eating--as opposed to eating out. Even in fine restaurants, I'm not sure of the caloric value, fat content, or food safety measures that were taken," the Chicago native explains. 

"I research recipes and I practice, practice, practice and eat, eat, eat!"

~ Zack A. Isaacs

 

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Youth in Chicago's Roseland Community Rally For Jobs

As they stood in front of a memorial dedicated to fallen youth, teens in Chicago's troubled Roseland community gave a chilling ultimatum: "No Jobs! No Peace!" 

On Friday afternoon, Kids Off The Block--a youth organization led by activist Diane Latiker-- held a rally across the street from its headquarters at 116th and Michigan. For them, a major cause of neighborhood violence is the lack of economic opportunities. Despite the presence of a small shopping district just a half-mile to the north, the stores can't provide enough jobs for residents and residents don't have income to support those same businesses. 

Mrs. Latiker, a former hairdresser and mother of eight, spoke to the youth in attendance about how the violence and poverty keeps her up at night. She told them that she is tired of hearing about Roseland's reputation when she travels to different cities in the U.S., as well as internationally. But the neighborhood surrogate mother reminded the young people that they must have the same desire for excellence that she has for them.

"I'm [asking] for young people who want to do something with their life, who want to be successful," Latiker exclaimed. "If you want to do something with your life, you're in the right place." 

One of those places is the Kids Off The Block headquarters. It is just two doors down from Latiker's home where she founded the organization in 2003. According to a recent interview with The Examiner's Wendell Hutson, she has gone to great lengths to supply the center with her own funds after government grants and private donations have been exhausted. As temperatures heat up and young people walk the streets in boredom, "Momma D" knows that jobs and summer programs are the only things that can keep kids out of trouble. 

Yet, there are still young people who feel inspired by Latiker's work. One of them is Jamie Norris, who plans to attend Chicago State University in the fall. She is holding out hope that the jobs will come soon. And other members, as well as visitors, of Kids Off The Block who are still in high school are doing just the same by preparing now for the future. 

Rising senior Julius Modelist wants to be a police officer.  He is currently enrolled in the Chicago Police and Firefighter Training Academy (CPFTA). But he and his friend, Kiwaun Radcliffe--who will be a sophomore in the fall-- admit that  some teachers in the Chicago Public School system are not always the most helpful in guiding them on a path to careers. 

"They don't really do anything to help us. Most teachers will just throw an assignment on our desk and tell us to turn it in by Monday," Radcliffe confessed.  

However, Modelist believes that the problem is bigger than the school system. "People have been constantly saying that we need government aid and what not, but all these years have been passing and government aid hasn't been doing too much to help a community," the teen said. "The people themselves have to find a way to work things out and make it better." 

~ Zack A. Isaacs

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Community Unites After Teen's Slaying

About 50 people gathered in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood on Thursday afternoon for a prayer vigil honoring 16-year-old Shakaki Asphy--who died on Sunday after being shot by an alleged gang member. 

Members of the anti-violence group Ceasefire, as well as St. Sabina pastor Father Michael Pfleger, came out to show support for the young woman's family and encourage residents to take back their communities. 

"We've heard the police give their plans and their strategies--and that's a good thing--but that's not enough," said the 63-year-old priest. "We've got to have a strategy and a deployment of the community." 

On Wednesday, a 16-year-old alleged gang member named Antuan Joiner was held on $1 million bail in connection to the weekend shooting that claimed Asphy's life. He was identified by other teens who were shot at while sitting on the same porch. 

A mother of one teen who survived the shooting talked about how it was his second time being shot. But she had confidence that all people involved in violent acts toward their community would be captured. 

"We got that n---er, and anybody else who's riding with him--we gon' get them too." 

~ Zack A. Isaacs

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Chicago Youth Tweet For Jobs And Peace

Kids Off The Block, a Chicago youth organization, is responding to the city's recent wave of violence with a Twitter campaign. 

Members of the group created a new trending topic, #NoJobsNoPeace, in an effort to raise awareness about an upcoming rally and bring jobs to the city's most impoverished neighborhoods. This Friday, the group will on 116th and Michigan in front of a memorial of stones directly across from their center. The organization's founder, Diane Latiker, created the memorial several years ago and it has received international attention. But the 55-year-old grandmother and CNN Hero honoree wants her Roseland community to receive the spotlight for positive things instead of the poverty and crime its residents endure. 

"[The young people] are suffering! They need jobs now!" Latiker told Zack's TV on Tuesday. 

She says that the memorial--officially known as "The K.O.B. Memorial Tribute To Young People Killed By Violence"--will serve as a perfect backdrop for Friday's rally and press conference.  

As of now, only a few people are tweeting but K.O.B.hopes that the movement will catch on.

Lakeesha Renee, a K.O.B. leader, tweeted that : "It is easier to get a gun than it is to get a job."

Adina Denoms, a former Roseland resident, applauds the efforts of K.O.B. and hopes that the young people will be successful in their efforts. 

"The youth have to stop the violence, drug selling/usage, and vandalism...with the mentality of maturity and a servant's spirit," the 37-year-old caterer says. But she also believes that the youth will not be successful without the entire community becoming involved--including the church. 

"The church needs to step in, in order to help the youth understand what a 'servant's spirit' is and to tap into their gifts."

*** For more information about #NoJobsNoPeace, search for it on Twitter or follow @dianekob . 

~ Zack A. Isaacs

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Prediction: Miami Heat Will Be 2012 Champs

In his Zack's TV debut, Men's Lifestyle blogger Yashua Nelson gives his prediction about the NBA Finals.  

The two teams most analysts predicted to play for the 2011-2012 NBA championship--The Miami Heat and The Oklahoma City Thunder are doing just that. Both teams have proved that they are championship-caliber teams. But what's left for question now is: who is the better team? Who will become champions this year, immortalizing them in our history books forever?

My prediction is that the Miami Heat will be this year champions with Lebron James as the Finals MVP. There is no doubt that Miami has one of the best starting line ups in the NBA today. But that is not how I came to my conclusion--especially since Miami lost to the Dallas Mavericks last year. The thing is, Miami has grown a lot since last year. Losing in the finals last year helped them realize that talent alone will not win them a ring. This year, they are playing with a sense of desperation that they didn't have last year. Role players are making stronger attempts to help the big three bring the trophy back to Miami.

Now, I don't think Oklahoma City Thunder is a bad team. They actually possess what it takes to become a dynasty. Their big three are amazing players. The Thunder team as a whole is stacked with young talent. Yet, there are a few issues which may keep them from getting a ring. 

The number one issue they have is their point guard. He hasn't realized how to become the championship guard Oklahoma needs him to be. He is most definitely one of the most athletic and talented point guard in the NBA without a doubt. But he isn't the only talent on his team, nor is he the best player on his team. He struggles to read the game correctly which forces him into inane shots, late or missed passes, and bad timing. All of these combined things contribute to the downfall of the team. 

Secondly, the captain of the team has to become much more vocal. As the best player on his team on both ends of the floor, he has to demand what needs to be done. This will actually help with their number one problem. By vocalizing what he expects in his point guard, this will force  the guard to up his game. If not, then this will lead to the third problem: coaching. 

The head coach should be able to see what is going on and have faith in the team, to bench their point guard. That's the most promising way to get through to your starting point guard. The coach also needs to encourage their leader to be more vocal. Without a change in at least one of these issues, they will not win a championship this year or one in the future.

~ Yashua Nelson

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Should Fathers Spank Their Daughters?

Fathers are speaking out about their right to discipline female children after the arrest of an Atlanta minister earlier this week.

Creflo Dollar, pastor of World Changers Church in College Park, Georgia, was arrested on Friday and charged with assaulting his 15-year-old daughter.  He is accused of punching and choking her after they had an altercation about if she could attend a party.

While father-daughter relationships are generally thought to be very loving and lenient, some men are saying that girls can be hurt in the long run if their fathers don't "lay down the law." 

Andre Kellum, a business consultant from Glenwood, Illinois, says that men should be allowed to raise their sons and daughters with the same expectations. 

"Fathers are the head of the household and it's not debatable if he can discipline any of his children," the entrepreneur explains. "Society needs to stop these double standards for black men where they have to 'stand up and be men' but can't father their children." 

In North Carolina, the same reasoning applies in the Alston household. 

32-year-old Anwar Alston is a married father of six and believes that his sons and daughters deserve equal punishment for wrongdoing. He believes that if parents "spare the rod," it will make children feel as if there are no consequences for disobedience--especially in the African-American community. 

"Creflo Dollar's disciplining of his daughter further illustrates the mountains that black males face interacting with black women," the graduate student says. 

"We can't reprimand our daughters or lead our families because our women hate us." 

Alston continued that Dollar's relationship with his daughter represents a "microcosm of a larger problem," given that she has defied her a father--an ordained man of God.

Dollar issued a statement today in which he said he would never hurt his children. 

~ Zack A. Isaacs

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